Rail-joint.



J. RBINHART.

RAIL JOINT.

APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 4, 1913.

Patented Nov. 18, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

lwuemtoz Jon N RElNuAm'.

Witnesses J. REINHART.

Patented Nov. 18, 1913.

2 SHEETSSHBET 2.

awueuto'o JOHN RElNHART attmm earns-r RAIL-JOINT.

Specification ofLetters Patent.

PatentedNov. 18, 1913.

Application filed. June 4, 1913. Serial No. 771,755r

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN REINHART, a citizen of the United States, residing at Early, in the "county of Sue and Stateof Iowa, have invented certain new and useful I npipvements in Rail-Joints, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to improvements inrail joints, and an object thereof is the provision of a device of this character by means of which tails are connected without the rise of bolts or other similar fastening devices which pass throngh the rails.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a rail joint comprising a pair of rails the meeting ends of which are provided with novel interlocking means, whereby separation of the rails is prevented.

With these and other objects in View, my invention consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts, to be hereinafter more fully described, claimed and illustrated in the accoinpanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of my device;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof partly in section; Fig. 3 is side elevation thereof partly in section; Fig. t is a perspective View of the meeting end of one of the rails; Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the meeting end of the other rail; Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the wedge, showing the rails in dotted lines; and Fig. 7 is a sectional view on the line 77 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrow.

lleferringmore particularly to the drawings, the numerals 1 and 2 designate a pair of rails which comprise the usual heads or treads 3, webs 4t and base flanges 5, the webs 4 being enlarged as at e, at the meeting ends of the rails, so that the thickness of the webs is substantially the same as the width of the treads of the rails. The enlarged portion 4: of the web of the rail 1 is cut away on one side thereof to provide-a longitudinal channel 6, and an upstanding rib 7 isformed on one of the base flanges of the rail 1,- the rib 7 forming the outer wall of the channel 6.- The upper edge ofthe rib 7 is inclined upwardly as at 8, from the end of the rail, the rib being provided with a recess 9 in the upper edge thereof, at the juncture of the rib and the enlarged portion 4 of the web of the rail. The base of the rail at the inner rail 2 is provided with a longitudinal eXten end of. the channel 6 is provided with an opening 10, the opening 10 being in alin'e ment with the recess 9 in'the rib 7.

The enlarged portion 4 ofthe web oftl'i'e sion 11 which forms a locking tongue,- the upper edge of the extension being inclined upwardly as at 12, from itsouterend to its juncture with the rail 2. The under face of one side of the projection 11 is undercut to provide an inclined wall 13 and a depending flange 14 on the opposite side of the projection, the wall 13 terminating short of the end of the projection. The extremity of the flange 14 is provided with a depending lug 15 which is adapted for engagement in the opening 10 in the base of the rail 1, and the side face of theflange at its forward extremity is formed with a laterally projecting lug 16 for engagement inthe recess 9 in the rib 7. In assembling the rails, the meeting ends thereof are raised slightly from the ground, whereupon the projection 15 engages in the channel 6 betiveen the web and the upstanding rib 7 whereupon the rails are moved toward each other until the extremity of the projection 11 engages the extreinity of the end wall of the channel 6, whereupon the rails are moved downwardly so that the lug eiigages in the opening 10 in the base of the rail 1, and the lug 16 engages in the recess 9 in the rib 7. In this position, it will be seen that a recess is provided between the inclined upper face of the projection 11 and the upper wall of the channel 6, and a wedge 17 is engaged in the recess, the lower face of the wedge being inclined as at 18 for engagement with the inclined upper face of the projection 11, whereby upward move ment of the meeting ends of the rails is prevented, to prevent the disengagement of the lugs 15 and 1 6 in the opening 10 and the recess 9 respectively. Toprevent accidental rails, vertical alined hooks 19 are formed on i the side face of the tread of the rail 1 and on the outer face of the extension 11, the hooks being adapted to receive a cotter" pin 20 or, the like, the pins engaging the outer face of the wedge 17 thereby preventing movement out of its recess. It will be seen that when therails are connected, the flange 1 1 1 is engaged between the upstanding rib 7 and the web of the rail, whereby relative lateral movement of the rails is prevented,

and if desired further lateral movement may be provided to prevent lateral separation of the rails, this means comprising a lug 21 which projects from the tread of the rail 1, the tread of the rail 2 being provided with a recess 22 for the reception of a lug 21 when the rails are connected.

' From the above description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be seen that I have provided a rail joint by means of which longitudinal and lateral separation of the rails is prevented, and that the rails are securely fastened together without the means of bolts or other similar fastening devices which pass through the rails.

To provide means for readily removing the wedge 17, a laterally extending hook 2-3 is formed on the outer face of the wedge, whereby a crowbar or other similar tool may be inserted downwardly into the hook so that the wedge may be readily removed by using the head of the rail 1 as a fulcrum point. 7

, Having thus described my invention, what I desire to claim is:

1. A rail joint comprising a pair of rails the meeting ends of which are formed with enlarged webs, the enlarged web of one of said rails being provided with a longitudinal channel in one side thereof, an upstanding rib formed on one of the base flanges of said rail, said rib forming one wall of said channel, the enlarged web of the other rail being provided with an extension, said extension being formed with a depending flange, the projection of the last mentioned rail engaging in said channel of the first mentioned rail, the depending flange of said projection being disposed between said upstanding rib and the web of the first mentioned rail, and means for maintaining said projection within said channel, as and for the purpose described.

2. A rail joint comprising the meeting ends of a pair of rails, the web of one of said rails having a longitudinal channel formed in one side thereof, one of the base flanges of said rail having an upstanding rib forming the outer wall of said channel, said rib having a recess therein at its juncture with the web of said rail, the web of the; other rail having a longitudinal projection, the extremity ofsaid projection having a lug for engagement in the recess in said rib, and means for maintaining said lug in engagement with said recess, as and for the purpose described.

3. A rail joint comprising the meeting ends of a pair of rails, the web of one of said rails having a longitudinal channel formed in one side thereof, an upstanding rib formed on one of the rail flanges of said rail, said rib forming one wall of said channel and being provided with a recess in its upper edge at its juncture with the web of said rail, the other rail having a projection extending longitudinally from toward the web thereof, the free extremity of said projection having a lug for engagement with the recess in saidrib, the upper face of said projection being inclined whereby a recess is formedbetween the upper face of the projection and the lower face of the tread of the other rail, a wedge disposed in the last mentioned recess, and means for maintaining said wedge within said recess, as and for the purpose described.

e. A rail joint comprising the meeting ends of a pair of rails, the web of one of said rails being formed with a longitudinal channel in one side thereof, said rail having one of its base flanges provided with an upstanding rib, said rib forming one wall of the channel and being provided in its upper facewith a recess, the other rail having a projection extending longitudinally from its web, said projection being undercut on one side thereof to provide a depending flange, said projection engaging in the channel in the first mentioned rail, the flange of said projection being disposed between the web of the first mentioned rail and the upstanding rib, the first mentioned rail having an opening in its base at the inner end of the channel, the flange of said projection being provided with a laterally extending lug for engagement in the recess in said rib, the flange of said projection also having a depending lug for engagement in the opening in the base of the first mentioned rail, a wedge disposed in said last mentioned recess, and means for preventing accidental dlsengagementof said wedge from its recess, as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN REINHART.

-Witnesses:

BYRLEL CARLTON, D. D. CARLTON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

